Induction (The bit that is not clear…)
Induction is a HUGE topic and one which cannot possibly be covered in one blog. In this blog in particular there is one that I am going to focus on. One fact that is not made very clear to pregnant women considering induction.
Lets briefly just define induction. Induction is any action taken to bring labour forward. This includes “natural or holistic’ methods as well as medical. So things like drinking a certain type of tea (natural), or accupuncture (holistic). It also includes sweeps, pessary cream, the foley ballon technique and the synthetic oxytocin drug administered via a drip. ALL are methods of induction. ALL of these things interfere with physiology. (What your body will naturally do if left alone)
For the evidence base around raspberry leaf tea read this.
There are many reasons for induction both medical and personal. If you have a high risk pregnancy due to a medical condition for example then you might consider induction. However many women are being offered induction methods as early as 37 weeks and conversations about induction in pregnancy for low risk women seem to be happening earlier and earlier in midwife appointments. Many hospitals now have induction rates of 50% and that is certainly true of some of our North East hospitals. Women are often told that after 40 weeks there is an increased risk of still birth but this is based on poor evidence AND the risk is still LOW. Click hear to read a blog post by Rachel Reed (An incredible midwife that is doing an incredible job of explaining birth in a really clear and evidence informed way for women just like you.)
We now know induction is ANYTHING that brings labour on. Again I MUST stress that this a very LAYERED topic. You can see already that there are so many forms of induction, each with their own nuances.
The one thing that I wanted to share and make VERY CLEAR to you in this blog is in referance to the synthetic oxytocin that is administered by drip IF the sweeps and pessary cream or mechanical induction method have not sucsesful caused an effective contraction pattern to reach established labour. (Pessary creams can be administered more than once in some pregnancys but it depends on previous births and their outcomes) This synthetic drug is also offered if your waters break but contractions do not start after 24 hours.
The synthetic oxytocin IS exactly the same molecule as the natural oxytocin that your own body makes. That means if you looked at it under a microscope it would look the same. And that is often how it is described to pregnant women. “this is just helping your baby along” or worse “this is helping your body along” insinuating that your body is somehow failing at labouring. (It is not by the way. Your body is never failing you. Ever.)
Whilst the synthetic oxytocin is indeed identical to the natural oxytocin made by you, the synthetic drip kind does not cross your blood brain barrier. And this is crucial for you to know.
That means that none of the lovely wonderful “love making hormone” the thing that makes you feel wonderful when having sex the thing that is going to act as pain relief in labour and most importantly the thing that will help you fall in love with your baby once it arrives is not getting to your brain with a chemically induced labour. I will write it again. Synthetic Oxytocin does not go into your brain therefore it cannot work its magic in your main control centre and effect your nervous system as it responds to pain the same way as it does in a physiological birth.
Synthetic Oxytocin will initiate the contractions of your uterus. The levels of the hormone are controlled by the medical practioner and not your body. They will likely be strong and powerful contractions and they will probably be quite close together. Without the natural oxytocin in your brain it is likely that you will experiance the contractions as being more painful. It is also more common for your baby to struggle with the speed and intensity of these induced contractions which can effect the blood flow to your baby. This is why in medically induced births it is important for your medical practioner to monitor your babies well being more closely and they may want to check the heart rate often or consitantly.
This is different to a physiological birthing process where you body regulates the strength and frequency of contractions depending on your babys’ needs. And where your brain will have lots of mature oxytocin receptors laid down ready to receive ALL the natural pain relieving qualities of the natural oxytocin you are making. Your body also initiates the release of BETA endorphins which travel along your spinal chord again to interfear and down regulate the sensation of pain from contrcations.
Physiological Birth is a truely complex yet magical process that we still do not fully understand. Which for many of us is really hard to accept. We are used to having a reason an explination and detailed understanding of WHY and HOW for every aspect of our lives. BUT birth is a natural process, nature cannot really be controlled well, without implications for those experienceing the process.
And you have the right to know that before you start on any induction journey.
If you want to know more I have a few more blogs in the pipe line covering induction and physiological labour. I also have my BIRTH INTUITION package including heaps of information on physiological birth and medical birth, all supported by yogic practice, movement, meditaion and breath work to support your preparation journey.
And just a note to close I do not wish to stop your from having an induction if that is truely what is best for you. A few of my clients have experianced induction and still had a positive birth. But the decision needs to be well informed and it needs to be yours.
YOU the mother is what I am invested deeply in. As becoming a mother is a transformative experiance. IT WILL shape the woman you become and it might just free you from the old narratives that you hold about who you are. What ever your journey and choices I am here to work with you to FEEL all the feelings to understand all the information so that you can make choices based on your intuition. On what your gut is telling you. As that my dear mother is what you need to follow because you hold ALL the answers where your body is concerned. She is yours to own, to be proud of, to be kind to and to worship for all that she does.
For more information please look at the resources below:
MaternityAtNorthumbriaHealthcareNHSFoundationTrust- There is monthly post of birth stats for our Cramlington based hospital in the North East
https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/maternity-services-monthly-statistics- Most up to date NHS birth Stats OVER 50% induction rate for April May 2024 when this blog was written. Method of induction is not highlighted.
https://midwifethinking.com/2016/07/13/induction-of-labour-balancing-risks/ a GREAT blog by the wonderful midwife Dr Rachel Reed
Also read Rachels Book “Reclaiming child brith as a rite of passage”
“In your own time” Dr Sara Whickham Another incredible midwife author who has written a number of books on all things birth.
